I’m a low-wage worker here in Olympia. I work a retail job at Capitol Mall and I work around 34 hours a week - and I’m not surviving on our current minimum wage.

I’m working almost full-time, yet after I pay bills and rent, I’m left on so little to survive on for food and other necessities. The constant stress this puts on me is hard. I’m constantly struggling to get by and waiting for my next paycheck to feel financially stable again, but then my paycheck comes and I pay my bills and I am in the exact same position I was again - wondering if I’ll have enough money at the end of these two weeks to buy lunch at my break at work.

It’s a constant cycle of struggle and it never ends.

I’m applying for food stamps soon to see if I’ll get any assistance, but I just don’t understand why a working adult working almost full-time should need government assistance to survive. What also pains me is that I know way too many people struggling in the same exact way that I am. Time and time again I hear stories from my co-workers about their own personal struggles working minimum wage jobs. Many of my co-workers are working multiple minimum wage jobs in order to survive because of lack of hours and low pay.

Why is it OK for so many hard-working community members to constantly be struggling to get by? This is not okay - and it leaves no room for error in our lives.

Imagine living like this and then having a medical emergency or mental health issues or having children to take care of. If I can barely survive, I can’t imagine how they are.

As a city council member it is your job to listen to your community and to take action implementing a $15 minimum wage here in Olympia. We are demanding this and we are not going to stop fighting until we win.

About Working Washington: Our mission is to build a powerful workers’ movement that can not only dramatically improve wages and working conditions, but can also change the local and national conversation about wealth, inequality, and the value of work. More info…

Our mission is to build a powerful workers’ movement that can not only dramatically improve wages and working conditions, but can also change the local and national conversation about wealth, inequality, and the value of work.

Working Washington fast food strikers sparked the fight that won Seattle's landmark $15 minimum wage. We drove Amazon to sever ties with right-wing lobby group ALEC and improve conditions in their sweatshop warehouses. And we helped lead the winning campaign in SeaTac for a $15 living wage.